Center Science Education
Torrents, Droughts, and Twisters - Oh My!
What is causing the extreme weather happening around the planet? Middle and high schoolers read about climate change as a possible link to such phenomena. Then they form groups to discuss and research one of the types of weather events....
EngageNY
Structuring The Search: Categorizing Our Research
What can you contribute? Scholars read text to determine how ants contribute to the rainforest. First, they categorize and sort facts gathered from reading. Next, readers focus on specific terms in each paragraphs of the text Ants by...
Curated OER
SWOOP Reading
First graders read fluently. In this phonics lesson plan students practice reading strategies for fluency. They write a response in their journal about the book read in class.
Infobased Learning
Bloom's Literature: How to Write about Nineteen Eighty Four
A good prompt is hard to find, especially ones that encourage application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a text. Help is here in the form of a prompt list for George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four that offers essay topics that...
Biology Junction
Kingdom: Fungi
Based on DNA, fungi relate more closely to animals than to plants. This new scientific knowledge shifted the world view of scientists and opened up new classifications. Viewers learn about fungi's place in evolution, in the tree of life,...
Curated OER
Scientific Scenes
Students discover how the public's perceptions of science have changed throughout recent history; then research scientific and technological breakthroughs in a variety of areas. They then create plays that allow scientists to encounter...
Curated OER
The Methods of Biology
For this biology methods worksheet, students will explore the scientific method, including creating a hypothesis and setting up an experiment. This worksheet has 3 short answer questions, 5 matching questions, and 8 fill in the blank...
Curated OER
Community Journals
Students visit a multimedia online journal as a model for their research and journal about their own communities. They examine writing for themselves and writing for an audience as they study the community and present it in more than one...
Curated OER
It's Up In the Air
Learners examine a variety of tools that are used to collect scientific data. They conduct an experiment that reveals what type of particles is in the air at their school. Students report on their findings.
Curated OER
A Taste of Blackberries
Fourth graders participate in a shared reading of Doris Buchanan's, A Taste of Blackberries. They read about grief in the loss of a best friend and examine the skills of a responsible family member.
Curated OER
Who Was Charles Darwin?
Students complete two activities to study Charles Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. They read Darwin's journal from the voyage of the Beagle and look at the scientific ideas that influenced the development of his theory.
Curated OER
Creature Seekers
Does it actually exist? Consider the sighting of a giant squid, much like the one that appears in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Middle and high schoolers read the article One Legend Found, Many Still to Go, and research other mysterious...
Curated OER
Journal of the Stars
Students receive balloons representing the "Life Cycle of the Stars." As the attached script is read, students follow the directions for the color of balloon they are given. Students chart the results for their star. They plot data from...
Curated OER
Scientific Method
In this scientific methods instructional activity, students compare independent and dependent variables, hypothesis and theory, homogeneous and heterogeneous, and physical and chemical change. This instructional activity has 17 short...
Curated OER
Designing a Scientific Study
Students define an exploration question or hypothesis and design a scientific study to answer it. They conduct the experiment.
Curated OER
A Heated Discussion
Students compare the colloquial definition of temperature with the scientific definition. They, in groups, then explore the changes of water under different temperatures and calculate and compare their findings on three different...
Curated OER
The Art of Adaptation
Students examine and discuss animal adaptation. They read an article about snakes, conduct research on ways animals adapt, develop a diagram, and write a short story written from the perspective of the animal they researched.
Curated OER
Playing With Science
Young scientists investigate the scientific concepts and principles that help make common toys such as hula hoops, yo-yos, slinkies, and silly putty work. As a class, they read "Backyard Rocket Science, Served Wet" to get a look behind...
Curated OER
Physical Science: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Explore science through problem solving and learning how to solve the problem of the story "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." Young investigators will learn how to construct a model and design a solution. They will also keep records of their...
Curated OER
E.T., Are You Out There?
Research the necessary components of a planet that supports life after reading the article "All of a Sudden, The Neighborhood Looks a Lot Friendlier" from The New York Times. After finding their information, middle and high schoolers...
Curated OER
Diving into Iceland's Genetic Pool
Investigate ethical issues surrounding the Decode project in Iceland. Middle and high schoolers take the positions of the Icelandic government, scientific researchers, and citizens and defend or refute the Decode project in a Reykjavik...
Curated OER
The Mitten
Explore the Ukraine through a reading of The Mitten. Readers will determine the sequence of events, cause and effect, make predictions, and find the main idea of the story. They also use math skills to make charts and graphs. Finally,...
Curated OER
Jane Goodall, Renowned Naturalist and Champion of Chimpanzees
Young scholars study the life of Jane Goodall and how she made an impact studying chimpanzees. In this endangered species lesson plan students write in their journals.
Curated OER
Amazing Apes
For this global studies worksheet, students read a 7-paragraph article about orangutans and respond to 6 short answer questions. Vocabulary words and definitions are included.